F r a m e w o r k M a s t e r P l a n Development Concepts 19
U n i v e r s i t i e s & M e d i c a l D i s t r i c t ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE Regional Circulation KNIK ARM GLENN HWY MINNESOTA DOWNTOWN NORTHERN LIGHTS BLVD 36TH AVE DOWLING DIMOND ABBOTT NEW SEWARD HWY PKWY Regional Circulation with Boniface ST ABBOTT LOOP PKWY DEBARR ROAD MULDOON ROAD As the planning process got underway, conversations with property owners about future land uses invariably turned to the possibility of a ward extension of Bragaw Street between Tudor Road and Northern Lights Boulevard as a regional traffic route. This was regarded by many as the major factor affecting future land use patterns in the District. This concept had been discussed for many years and had become an inevitability in the minds of some. The team recognized that only by confronting this regional transportation question could a useful discussion of future land use options be opened. Accordingly, the team examined potential connections between Elmendorf Air Force Base and the Glenn Highway to the, and Tudor Road and Abbott Loop Road to the south. North of Tudor Road, there were two obvious choices: Boniface Parkway or Bragaw Street. ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE KNIK ARM GLENN HWY DOWNTOWN MINNESOTA NORTHERN LIGHTS BLVD 36TH AVE DOWLING DIMOND ABBOTT Regional Circulation with Bragaw ST DEBARR ROAD NEW SEWARD HWY PKWY ABBOTT LOOP PKWY MULDOON ROAD The team examined these from aspects of traffic capacity, land use and community values. The team concluded that either could satisfy regional transportation needs, and that issues related to livability should determine the choice of routes. Were there to be a connection south of Tudor Road, the Boniface Parkway route might follow an established street alignment along E. 48 th Avenue (parallel to Tudor Road) between Boniface Parkway and Bragaw Street. This would relieve Tudor Road between Boniface Parkway and Lake Otis Parkway of large volumes of traffic that use it currently. Any alignment between Tudor Road and Abbott Loop Road may raise environmental and other planning issues, but these are outside the scope of this study, and so have not been addressed here. In short, there is no unique solution to regional transportation routing. Having come to this conclusion, the critical question is no longer how throughtraffic is to be accommodated, but how best to use the land within the campus district. The circulation system can be adapted as necessary to serve local as well as regional needs. 20
F r a m e w o r k M a s t e r P l a n Alternative Development Concepts An important consequence for the whole District of a choice between Bragaw Street and Boniface Parkway as the -south through-route is the resulting land use options. Bragaw Street would clearly separate uses on either side of it and would encourage frontage development. Routing of through traffic via Boniface Parkway would reduce through traffic in the District and maintain connectivity between lands within the District. These have been characterized as two contrasting concepts: Integrated Campuses or. In the concept, the campuses and other uses in the District would develop closer inter-relationships, bound together by a system of green spaces, trails and local streets. Arterial streets would serve only the boundaries of the District. The concept would develop as three or four separate subdistricts, each served by arterial streets, and each largely independent of the others. 21
U n i v e r s i t i e s & M e d i c a l D i s t r i c t Land Use Development A variety of land uses is needed to enable existing institutions to continue to grow and be competitive. The capacity of the District to accommodate these varies with its suitability for development. Land identified for development or redevelopment includes: - The former API property (currently owned by ), and - parking lots adjacent to Bragaw Street. It also includes parts of: - Tudor Centre, - and property near the intersections of Bragaw Street and Providence Drive, - Trust property adjacent to Lake Otis Parkway, and - endowment lands west of University Lake. Land identified as development reserve includes all or part of: - Property adjacent to Drive of Mallard Lane, - endowment lands and east of the campus core, - The hill immediately south of MYC, - Land of the Arts Building, - Land at Northern Lights Boulevard and Bragaw Street, and - Land of the KSKA/KAKM building on the campus. Land classified in this Plan as Development Reserve indicates that it possesses special natural features that must be respected by any proposed development. Development will be conditional upon protection of actual features as specified by the Municipality of Anchorage. Alternatives Development opportunities differ between the and concepts: Land identified for near-term development in the scenario includes and property near the intersections of Alumni Drive, Northern Lights Boulevard and Pine Street. Land identified for long-term development includes property adjacent to Northern Lights Boulevard at Bragaw Street. Under this scenario, could develop its campus on both sides of Providence Drive if former API land is made available to. A local access street to the east was investigated and later rejected by the Steering Committee. The proposed alignment continued Alumni Drive east along the south edge of the Arts building parking lot, followed the overhead powerlines easement east, then connected to Northern Lights Boulevard opposite Pine Street. Land identified for near-term development under the scenario includes property adjacent to the intersection of Bragaw Street and Northern Lights Boulevard. might be expected to consolidate its campus near the existing core on the side of Providence Drive. 22
F r a m e w o r k M a s t e r P l a n Note that the Alumni Drive extension was eliminated from the final recommended plan. PINE U.A.A. SEAWOLF DR MALLARD LANE SCOTER LANE ALUMNI DR DR DR SUB- STATION COLLEGE GATE TRUST ENDOWMENT LANDS AMBASSADOR DR DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT U.A.A. KEY PREDOMINANT LAND USES PRESERVATION OPEN SPACE DEVELOPMENT RESERVE DEVELOPMENT PRIORITY REGIONAL CIRCULATION LOCAL CIRCULATION PINE REDEVELOPMENT PRIORITY INSTITUTIONAL MIXED- USE / COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL LOCAL CIRCULATION RESERVE SUB- STATION TRUST SEAWOLF DR MALLARD LANE INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT SCOTER LANE ALUMNI DR DR DR ENDOWMENT LANDS COLLEGE GATE AMBASSADOR DR DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT 23
U n i v e r s i t i e s & M e d i c a l D i s t r i c t Development of a University Village Purpose A University Village would complement the activities of institutions in the District, enabling them to grow more efficiently, and would provide a more compatible environment for that growth. It is important for the institutions to be able to attract and retain quality people. Increasingly, candidates look beyond the immediate work environment at the facilities nearby that can enrich their lives. A focused and compact center would be able to offer a greater range of goods and services than is possible in the current, dispersed market. A University Village would provide a convenient and urbane counterpart to the natural Alaskan experience offered nearby among the lakes and trails. One purpose is to co-locate mutually supportive services in a relatively small area, so that a single trip to University Village can serve a number of destinations. This contrasts with the current necessity of driving separately to destinations in a number of commercial strips, compounding both traffic and air quality problems. Another purpose is to alleviate institutions and other agencies of the need to provide support facilities within their own complexes. AMBASSADOR Configuration and Use The University Village would be a compact development which is served by a grid of local access streets. The resulting small blocks would make walking the most convenient way to circulate within the Village. With appropriate connections to the municipal and local trail systems, circulation on foot, by bicycle and on skis would be further encouraged. The University Village would include retail, entertainment, services, housing and some employment. Technical support uses may locate there too, such as medical testing labs and the offices of institution-related research groups, in close proximity to suitable housing. The vitality of such districts can be very attractive to new creative enterprises. Ideally, the University Village would be central to all institutions in the District, to maximize convenience to all potential users. In practice, the most probable site is the area between Tudor Road and E. 40 th Avenue, on one or both sides of Bragaw Street. The area is directly accessible by,, and housing. The Village would be oriented towards the, away from Tudor Road and towards the student housing and. The core of the University Village would become the main off-campus meeting place, with cafes, restaurants, and other retail and services nearby. It would lie on a trail connection between Chester Creek and the Tudor Road pedestrian overpass. E. 43RD AVE Some elements of a University Village may be included in development of the Trust property west of McLaughlin Youth Center fronting Lake Otis Parkway. However this property is remote from most institutions and student housing, and is unlikely to develop with retail to the extent that the side of Tudor Road west of Bragaw Street has done. Existing Site KEY DEVELOPMENT - EXISTING DEVELOPMENT - NEW OPEN SPACE - EXISTING OPEN SPACE - NEW TRAIL - EXISTING TRAIL - PROPOSED DISTRICT CIRCULATION REGIONAL CIRCULATION 24
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz F r a m e w o r k M a s t e r P l a n E. 40TH E. 42ND AMBASSADOR AMBASSADOR E. 43RD E. 43RD AVE Alternative 1 If E. 42nd Avenue is extended to Bragaw Street, the University Village may extend east towards Bragaw Street as a single development, with only local traffic using Bragaw Street. Alternative 2 If Ambassador Drive and an extended E. 42nd Avenue meet Bragaw Street out of alignment, the University Village may develop on each side of Bragaw Street, giving it a Main Street character south of Chester Creek. AMBASSADOR AMBASSADOR E. 43RD AVE E. 43RD AVE Alternative 1 If E. 43rd Avenue is developed between Florina Street and Bragaw Street, the University Village may develop as an extension of Tudor Square. Alternative 2 If Ambassador Drive and an extended E. 42nd Avenue are brought into alignment, the University Village may develop on each side of Bragaw Street, though separated by a fast and busy road. 25
U n i v e r s i t i e s & M e d i c a l D i s t r i c t Public Open Space and the Natural Environment The protection of valued open spaces and natural features is a primary goal of this Master Plan. Elements of the open space framework include: preserved open space around Goose Lake, Mosquito Lake, University Lake and Chester Creek; open space buffers around the campus and on the ern and eastern boundaries of the District; formal landscaped open spaces associated with the various campuses; and potential open space connections such as Folker Park to Providence Drive via Wright Street, and along Chester Creek through the entire District. Alternatives The configuration and quality of undeveloped open spaces in the District is the characteristic that would differ most under each concept. The need for buffers would be greater in the concept, while each would adapt formal open spaces to the prevailing circumstances. In either case, new trails and other linkages would be aligned to minimize interference with natural habitats and mature landscapes. In the scenario, natural open spaces would remain largely as they are today. If Alumni Drive is extended to Northern Lights Boulevard at Pine Street, it would be aligned around the toe of the hill and along the existing utility corridor to minimize intrusion into the unspoiled natural landscape, and would be equipped with grade-separated crossings for trails. In the scenario, natural open space in the ern and central parts of the District would be effectively divided by Bragaw Street and would function separately. Grade-separated connections would be necessary to maintain continuity of established trails across Bragaw Street. Increased development pressures along the Bragaw Street extension could be expected to create a need for more buffer plantings. 26
F r a m e w o r k M a s t e r P l a n SUB- STATION COLLEGE GATE MOSQUITO LAKE ENDOWMENT LANDS DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT KEY NATURAL LANDSCAPE LANDSCAPE BUFFER MAINTAINED LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT RESERVE DISTRICTS REGIONAL CIRCULATION SUB- STATION COLLEGE GATE MOSQUITO LAKE ENDOWMENT LANDS DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT 27
U n i v e r s i t i e s & M e d i c a l D i s t r i c t Public Trail System A feature of the District that is highly valued by many who live or work here is the network of public and private trails that bring uses into close contact with nature. Consequently, a significant objective of this Master Plan is to complete the public trail connections through the District between the overpasses of Tudor Road and Northern Lights Boulevard. Improvements to the public trail system include: A permanent trail connection between campus housing and Providence Drive east of ; Improved municipal trail connections between Ambassador Drive and Northern Lights Boulevard overpass along the existing section line utility corridor east of ; Pedestrian connections between Chester Creek and the Tudor Road overpass, developed in conjunction with the University Village; and Pedestrian connections between Northern Lights Boulevard and the campus along Drive, and between Wendler Middle School and the Martin Luther King Career Center.. Alternatives The concept would necessitate reconfiguration of a number of public and private trails to avoid the Bragaw Street extension and the parcels of land along it that may subsequently be developed. The difference in consequences between the two regional traffic concepts is perhaps greatest in the context of the trail system and associated natural landscape. In the scenario, the existing trail system would remain largely unaffected. Above or below grade trail connections would be necessary for winter use trails where they cross any new local or collector streets. In the scenario, above or below grade trail connections would be necessary at crossings of Bragaw Street to protect snow contact surfaces. Trails close to the Bragaw Street extension would probably be abandoned and the system redesigned accordingly. Habitat east of Mosquito Lake would be reduced by construction of the new arterial street. 28
F r a m e w o r k M a s t e r P l a n BLVD OVERPASS BLVD OVERPASS U.A.A. MALLARD LANE SCOTER LANE ALUMNI DR DR DR SUB- STATION COLLEGE GATE TRUST CHESTER CREEK ENDOWMENT LANDS AMBASSADOR DR OVERPASS DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT U.A.A. BLVD OVERPASS BLVD OVERPASS KEY EXISTING TRAIL SKI TRAIL PROPOSED OR ENHANCED TRAILS REGIONAL CIRCULATION SUB- STATION TRUST MALLARD LANE SCOTER LANE ALUMNI DR CHESTER CREEK DR DR ENDOWMENT LANDS AMBASSADOR DR COLLEGE GATE OVERPASS DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT 29
U n i v e r s i t i e s & M e d i c a l D i s t r i c t District Circulation Circulation within the District clearly has an important role to play in supporting the continued growth of the institutions and associated activities. Streets and transportation represent a dedicated use of land that is integrally related to all other land uses in the District. Vehicular circulation cannot usefully be viewed in isolation from other modes or land uses. Each of the following proposed circulation improvements responds to a specific set of circulation needs, including regional movement, District access and local circulation. It is important that both physical design and subsequent management of every street shall ensure proper and compatible use of each element of the system. These improvements are common to both Plan concepts. Proposed improvements to aid local circulation include the following: - Extension of Wright Street along the east boundary of the new API facility to Providence Drive at Seawolf Drive; - Improvement of E. 40 th Avenue west from Piper Street to an improved Folker Street; - Extension of Seawolf Drive ward, or construction of a new street west of the campus to Mallard Lane; - Extension of E. 42 nd Avenue to Bragaw Street and re-engineered intersection of Ambassador Drive and Bragaw Street to align with the E. 42 nd Avenue extension. (An alternative to the alignment of Ambassador Drive and E.42 nd Avenue would be an offset with a minimum distance of 200 between intersections); and - Improvement of E. 42 nd Avenue between Lake Otis Parkway and Bragaw Street to municipal residential street standards. Future local improvements may include: - Extension of Alumni Drive to connect directly or indirectly to Northern Lights Boulevard; - Extension of Piper Street to Providence Drive from E. 40 th Avenue via the existing trail alignment; - Introduction of new public or private streets available for public circulation on the Trust property west of MYC; and - A local connection for to Bragaw Street aligned with University Lake Drive. As part of Plan implementation, a Tudor Road corridor study should be prepared to address the development potential and traffic needs on the and south sides of Tudor Road, and the corresponding access management strategies to ensure safe and efficient movement of traffic along this important corridor. 30 Alternatives Regional traffic routing is the primary distinction between the two concepts, yet differences in local circulation would also be evident of Providence Drive. In the scenario, regional traffic between destinations and south of the District would use Boniface Parkway and E. 48 th Avenue, which is south of Tudor Road. This would have the effect of relieving Providence Drive, Drive and Tudor Road of some traffic. Local circulation improvements would include: - Redesign and management of Providence Drive between Wright Street and Piper Street to create a local, pedestrian-friendly street. Full implementation of this improvement would be made to accommodate expansion south of Providence Drive and would be evaluated at that time for consequent traffic impacts. - A possible extension of Alumni Drive as a two-lane local street east to intersect with Northern Lights Boulevard at or near Pine Street was considered and later dropped from the recommended plan. This could be constructed when needed to support development of adjacent or property and as warranted by traffic demands through revision of this Plan. The proposed alignment shown on plan maps is conceptual, subject to detailed environmental and engineering study. Generally, the alignment would follow previously disturbed land. Ski trail over- or under-passes would be included. Traffic management measures would be introduced as necessary to deter regional through traffic. In the scenario, regional traffic would be routed on an extension of Bragaw Street through the District. This would also encourage growth of through traffic on Providence Drive. Drive would become more heavily used, providing a direct link to and from the. Short access streets and drives would develop along the Bragaw Street extension to serve newly accessible developable sites.
F r a m e w o r k M a s t e r P l a n Note that the Alumni Drive extension was eliminated from the final recommended plan. PINE U.A.A. SEAWOLF DR MALLARD LANE SCOTER LANE ALUMNI DR DR DR SUB- STATION COLLEGE GATE TRUST ENDOWMENT LANDS AMBASSADOR DR DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT U.A.A. SUB- STATION PINE SEAWOLF DR MALLARD LANE SCOTER LANE ALUMNI DR DR DR COLLEGE GATE TRUST ENDOWMENT LANDS AMBASSADOR DR DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT 31
U n i v e r s i t i e s & M e d i c a l D i s t r i c t District Wayfinding In a good circulation system, wayfinding should be straightforward, and should not be dependent on complex signage. A grid of streets enables visitors to recirculate to find a missed turning, but incomplete grids, such as those that exist in the District now, frustrate such logical search patterns. An important objective is that every public street should terminate in another public or private street. Another advantage of such a connected system is that local traffic is distributed throughout the system, reducing congestion and providing an element of self policing in the form of eyes on the street. Throughout the District, priority is yielded to emergency traffic traveling towards the hospitals. This includes both emergency vehicles and private automobiles, since many emergency trips are made by car. Transit is growing in importance as a means of providing efficient and environmentally-responsible access, and so will be afforded priority over general traffic. For all other traffic, the objective is to provide a choice of routes that are both direct and convenient and to reduce dependence on intersections prone to congestion. As developable land becomes more scarce, the institutions will encourage their personnel to use transit or to carpool. The network of trails in the District is important for both recreational and functional circulation, complementing and supporting transit and other motor traffic. Discrete yet clear signage is necessary to direct walkers, cyclists, and skiers towards major destinations and transit stops. Alternatives In the scenario, many drivers would have destinations remote from the District and would be interested primarily in regional signage. By contrast, drivers in the District under the Integrated Campuses scenario would all have local destinations. Their focus would be on recognition of a specific place and where to park. In the Integrated Campuses model, orientation within the District would become much more important, as would local identification signage. The scenario creates an intermediate tier of collector and distributor streets between those that currently function as arterials, and the local access streets and driveways. Regional access would be via Tudor Road, Lake Otis Parkway and Northern Lights Boulevard. Local access would be provided by a secondary street system based on Bragaw Street, Providence Drive, Drive, and the extension of Alumni Drive, giving direct access to the various campuses and other destinations within the District. Emergency routes towards hospitals would be direct for all traffic. Outbound routes would take advantage of the expanded network of local streets, offering a choice of routes to avoid congested intersections. However, care would be taken to avoid creation of cut-throughs by traffic that has neither origin nor destination in the District. Signage would aid those circulating within the District looking for local destinations. More remote destinations would be signposted on the peripheral arterial streets. The Subdistrict scenario would expand the existing system in which streets functioning as traffic arterials give access to driveways. Tudor Road, Lake Otis Parkway, Northern Lights Boulevard, Bragaw Street, Providence Drive and Drive would provide regional access to the various campuses within the District. The mid-tier of local collector and distributor streets would remain largely absent. Signage would be focused on principal destinations, many of them outside the District. 32
F r a m e w o r k M a s t e r P l a n PINE U.A.A. MALLARD ALUMNI DR DR MYC API DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT U.A.A. PINE MALLARD ALUMNI DR DR MYC API DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT 33
U n i v e r s i t i e s & M e d i c a l D i s t r i c t Illustrative District Street and Path Sections It is no longer acceptable to tolerate streets without sidewalks in a district second only to downtown for non-automobile circulation. Walking, bicycling and skiing are established as part of the way of life in the District and are to be fully and safely accommodated. Path Campus Green or Open Space Two Travel Lanes It is important that all streets be built with safe, lit sidewalks, and that sidewalks and trails be connected with good sightlines for safety. Transit should be fully anticipated in all street improvements, with stops located at safe crossing places. Pedestrian and Bike Path Both Scenarios May be paved or unpaved depending on use and location Campus Entry Campus drives and roadways Two Travel Lanes 2 Lane Local Access & 2 Lane Local Access w/ Parking Both Scenarios Neighborhood streets and streets within individual property boundaries Parking Two Travel Lanes Parking Two Travel Lanes Median Two Travel Lanes District Collector Bragaw Street Providence Drive at Lake Otis Parkway and east of Drive Drive Regional Arterial Both Scenarios Tudor Road Lake Otis Parkway Northern Lights Boulevard Boniface Parkway Two+ Travel Lanes Turn Lane Two+ Travel Lanes or Median Bragaw Street Providence Drive 34